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806 m · Wainwright — Western Fells · Birketts to bag nearby, parking, buses, my hikes and live summit weather.

High Stile, a Lake District fell
Wainwright — Western FellsAlso a Birkett

High Stile

High Stile is the highest of the three great fells of the Buttermere ridge, and one of the finest summits in the Western Fells.

806 m
Height
~4.5–5.5 h
Typical time
+6
Bonus Birketts
See routes & download GPX →

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806 mWainwright — Western Fells✓ summit is also a Birkett+6 bonus Birketts within 3 km Severe in cloud

Is it worth going? — Today’s conditions & 7-day summit forecast

Modelled guidance for the 806 m summit. Always check the Met Office mountain forecast and MWIS before you set off.

On the summit today (Tue 28 Jul): 13° to 12°C, gusts to 36 mph, 2.7 mm of rain forecast.

Tue 28 Jul
🌦️
13° / 12°
💨 36 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (99%)
Wed 29 Jul
🌧️
13° / 10°
💨 29 mph
🌧 11.0 mm (100%)
Thu 30 Jul
🌦️
11° / 3°
💨 29 mph
🌧 2.9 mm (87%)
Fri 31 Jul
🌤️
13° / 1°
💨 22 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (86%)
Sat 1 Aug
🌦️
13° / 4°
💨 15 mph
🌧 2.7 mm (82%)
Sun 2 Aug
☁️
14° / 4°
💨 17 mph
🌧 0.0 mm (35%)
Mon 3 Aug
🌦️
14° / 4°
💨 16 mph
🌧 0.4 mm (23%)

Forecast snapshot from 28 Jul 2026, 04:58 UTC — refreshed nightly and updated live in your browser. Temperatures and gusts adjusted to the 806 m summit altitude via Open-Meteo. Summit conditions are always harsher than the valley — check the professional mountain forecasts before you go.

Pro mountain forecasts: MWIS · Met Office mountain forecast

About the walk

Key information

High Stile

High Stile, a Lake District fell
© Lee McCoy

High Stile is the highest of the three great fells of the Buttermere ridge, and one of the finest summits in the Western Fells. Its dramatic north-eastern face plunges in a wall of crag and combe — Bleaberry Comb and Burtness Comb — straight down to Buttermere and Crummock Water far below. The summit panorama is superb: the Buttermere valley at your feet, Pillar and Great Gable across Ennerdale, and the Scafells beyond. It is the high point of the classic Buttermere horseshoe with Red Pike and High Crag — a serious mountain day, usually begun from Buttermere village or Gatesgarth. It is rough and rocky near the top, with steep ground on the lake side, so keep well back from the edge in cloud.

Routes up High Stile

Hand-mapped, with GPX to download — full maps further down.

High Stile, Seat via Buttermere
13 km · ~4 hr
Classifications & hill data
Wainwright
Western
Birkett
Synge
806 m
Height
2,644 ft
In feet
NY 1675 1479
Grid ref

Map & nearby Birketts

Free mapping: OpenTopoMap / OpenStreetMap (switch layers top-right). Parking positions are approximate.

Nearest parking: Buttermere village (NT, paid), about 2.4 km from the summit (straight line). Full parking, toilets and bus details are below.

Birketts near High Stile (within 3 km)

These Birkett tops are not Wainwright summits — detour to them on this walk and they are pure profit. Distances are straight-line; allow extra for terrain.

0.3 km EHigh Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)806 m · Western
1.0 km NNWDodd (Buttermere)641 m · North Western
2.0 km WNWLittle Dodd (Ennerdale)590 m · Western
2.3 km SESeat561 m · Western
2.5 km SPillar Rock780 m · Western
2.9 km NEHigh Snockrigg526 m · North Western

Routes over High Stile

High Stile, Seat via ButtermereLive
12.97 km · ~836 m ascent · loop · ~4–5.5 h
Summits: Red Pike (Buttermere)High StileHigh Stile (Grey Crag - High Stile)High Crag (Buttermere)Seat

⬇️ Download GPX

Full route guide ↗

A planned line is a suggestion, not a guarantee — conditions change. Navigate independently and carry a map & compass.

The View from High Stile

A computed 360° skyline — every visible named top labelled by distance and bearing, from the terrain model in perfect clarity, not photographed. Drag to pan; reveal the far four-nations horizon.

drag to pan · arrow keys
Computed 360-degree skyline from High Stile36 labelled tops shown (21 distant behind the far-horizon toggle). Theoretical visibility in perfect clarity; computed from terrain, not photographed.eye levelNNEESESSWWNWScafell Pike · 9 kmScafell · 9 kmHelvellyn · 18 kmSkiddaw · 17 kmGreat End · 9 kmPillar · 3 kmRaise · 18 kmFairfield · 19 kmBlencathra · 20 kmGreat Dodd · 18 kmGrasmoor · 6 kmScoat Fell · 4 kmCrag Hill · 6 kmRed Pike · 4 kmSkiddaw Lesser Man · 16 kmGreen Gable · 6 kmHaycock · 5 kmGlaramara · 9 kmRed Screes · 24 kmLittle Gowder Crag · 5 kmLow White Stones · 12 kmClough Head · 18 kmLonscale Fell · 17 kmPike of Stickle · 13 kmHarter Fell · 16 kmRed Pike · 1 kmRobinson · 4 kmThirdgill Head Man · 5 kmCriffel · 52 km · clear daysCaw Fell · 5 kmIron Crag · 5 kmStarling Dodd · 3 kmLank Rigg · 8 kmGavel Fell · 6 kmCrag Fell · 7 kmLoweswater End · 7 kmBroad Crag · 9 kmNethermost Pike · 18 kmDollywaggon Pike · 18 kmStybarrow Dodd · 18 kmSteeple · 3 kmEel Crag · 6 kmDove Crag · 21 kmSail · 6 kmBowscale Fell · 23 kmHigh Stile · 0 kmHigh Crag · 2 kmCombe Head · 9 kmCalfhow Pike · 18 kmDodd · 1 kmHeron Pike North Top · 20 kmBlake Fell · 8 kmHerdus · 5 kmCarling Knott · 8 kmGale Fell · 4 kmWhoap · 7 kmMellbreak North Top · 5 kmFloutern Cop · 5 kmLow Pen · 8 kmBlakeley Raise · 10 kmRannerdale Knotts · 4 kmEycott Hill · 26 kmSkelgill Bank · 10 kmScale Knott · 4 kmBowness Knott · 6 kmBrown How · 5 kmWatch Hill · 17 kmWhite Hill · 70 km · clear daysSlieve Donard · 175 km · a handful of days a yearMerrick · 102 km · a rare clear dayBroad Law · 109 km · a rare clear daySnaefell · 82 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Carsphairn · 101 km · a rare clear dayCairnsmore of Fleet · 85 km · a rare clear dayTinto · 122 km · a handful of days a yearSlieve Croob · 176 km · a handful of days a yearYr Eifl · 188 km · a handful of days a yearIngleborough · 70 km · a rare clear dayGreen Lowther · 101 km · a rare clear dayMoel y Gamelin · 168 km · a handful of days a yearDivis · 177 km · a handful of days a yearEttrick Pen · 93 km · a rare clear dayCairn Table · 118 km · a rare clear dayBeneraird · 121 km · a handful of days a yearAgnew's Hill · 174 km · a handful of days a yearCauldcleuch Head · 91 km · a rare clear dayColt Hill · 96 km · a rare clear dayPeel Fell · 96 km · a rare clear dayMull Hill · 108 km · a rare clear day
What you can see from High Stile, by direction
  • North: Grasmoor (6 km), Eel Crag (6 km)
  • North-east: Crag Hill (6 km), Skiddaw Lesser Man (16 km), Skiddaw Little Man (16 km), Skiddaw South Top (17 km), Skiddaw Middle Top (17 km), Skiddaw (17 km), Skiddaw North Top (17 km), Broad End (18 km), Knowe Crags (19 km), Gategill Fell Top (20 km), Blencathra (20 km), Atkinson Pike (21 km)
  • East: Helvellyn Lower Man (17 km), White Side (17 km), Helvellyn (18 km), Nethermost Pike (18 km), High Crag (18 km), Raise (18 km), Dollywaggon Pike (18 km), Stybarrow Dodd (18 km), Catstye Cam (18 km), Great Dodd (18 km), Cofa Pike (19 km), Fairfield (19 km), Dove Crag (21 km), High Street (28 km)
  • South-east: Great Gable (6 km), Green Gable (6 km), Great End (9 km), Broad Crag (9 km), Scafell Pike (9 km), Scafell (9 km), Ill Crag (9 km)
  • South: Pillar (3 km), Steeple (3 km), Scoat Fell (4 km), Red Pike (4 km)
  • South-west: Haycock (5 km)

On the clearest days the far horizon adds: Slieve Donard (175 km, Ireland), Merrick (102 km, Scotland), Broad Law (109 km, Scotland), Snaefell (82 km, Isle of Man), Cairnsmore of Carsphairn (101 km, Scotland), Cairnsmore of Fleet (85 km, Scotland), Corserine (98 km, Scotland), Lamachan Hill (96 km, Scotland).

Computed from terrain in perfect clarity, not photographed · distances are straight-line.

Computed from Copernicus GLO-30 terrain; distant tops from the Database of British and Irish Hills (CC BY 4.0). See how we compute the view · and the summit intervisibility report below.

What you can see from High Stile

On a clear day — computed sightlines, curvature- and refraction-corrected.
71Wainwrights in view+15 marginal
104 kmFurthest sightlineMerrick · possible under favourable refraction
2Sea in viewIrish Sea, Solway Firth

On the clearest days the view reaches across to Scotland and the Isle of Man.

Far horizons
  • Merrick ScotlandNW · 104 km clear
  • Snaefell Isle of ManWSW · 82 km clear
  • Ingleborough Yorkshire DalesSE · 71 km clear
  • Whernside Yorkshire DalesESE · 66 km clear
  • Cross Fell North PenninesENE · 55 km clear
  • Criffel ScotlandNNW · 52 km clear
  • Solway Firth bay/estuaryNNW · 41 km in view
  • Irish Sea open waterWNW · 26 km in view
All 71 Wainwrights in clear view (nearest first)

Red Pike (Buttermere), High Crag (Buttermere), Pillar, Starling Dodd, Steeple, Scoat Fell (Little Scoat Fell), Rannerdale Knotts, Fleetwith Pike, Robinson, Red Pike (Wasdale), Mellbreak (Mellbreak South Top), Whiteless Pike, Great Borne, Haycock, Kirk Fell, Hindscarth, Knott Rigg, Caw Fell, Wandope, Brandreth, Grey Knotts, Grasmoor, Dale Head, Crag Hill (Eel Crag), Great Gable, Green Gable, Sail, Gavel Fell, Ard Crags, Crag Fell, Scar Crags, Blake Fell, Lingmell, Causey Pike, Lank Rigg, Grike, Low Fell, Great End, Scafell Pike, Glaramara, Scafell, Allen Crags, Rosthwaite Fell - Bessyboot, Fellbarrow - Mosser Fell, Eagle Crag, Sergeant's Crag, High Seat, High Raise (High White Stones), Ullscarf, Bleaberry Fell, Pike of Stickle, Harrison Stickle, Dodd (Skiddaw), Latrigg, Carl Side, Long Side, Harter Fell (Eskdale), Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw, Lonscale Fell, Watson's Dodd, Seat Sandal, Clough Head, Great Rigg, Heron Pike (Rydal), Blencathra - Hallsfell Top, Dove Crag, High Pike (Scandale), Bowscale Fell, Red Screes, Yoke

How High Stile’s view compares with all 214 — the View Report: every Wainwright ranked by what you can see from the top.

Sightlines from a bare-earth terrain model (forests and buildings not included), corrected for the Earth’s curvature and average atmospheric refraction. “Distant” sightlines and any over 100 km depend on exceptionally clear air. Modelled from Copernicus GLO-30 open elevation data — a guide to the view, not a guarantee of any single one.

Best parking to hike High Stile

Where we have the data, each parking spot also shows the nearest public toilets and facilities (cafés, pubs, shops).

Buttermere village (NT, paid) — 2.4 km from summit (straight line)
For Red Pike, High Stile, Robinson, Rannerdale Knotts.
Directions
🚺 Buttermere village (132m) — Accessible☕ Syke Farm Tea Room☕ Croft House Farm Café🍺 The Buttermere Court Hotel
Gatesgarth Farm, Buttermere (paid) — 2.8 km from summit (straight line)
Farm car park at the foot of Haystacks, Fleetwith Pike and the High Stile ridge.
Directions

Positions are approximate — zoom the map to confirm. Lakeland car parks fill before 9am on fine weekends.

Tip: pan and zoom the interactive map at the top of this page to spot other potential parking near your route.

Water & shelter on the way up

On the High Stile, Seat via Buttermere route:

🚌 Bridge Hotel (6 m)🚌 The Fish Hotel (62 m)🚌 Mountain Road junction (153 m)🚌 Buttermere Youth Hostel (N bound) (312 m)⛺ Syke Farm Campsite (217 m)

On-route facilities © OpenStreetMap contributors, per route — an absent marker doesn’t mean none.

Buses to High Stile from Penrith / Ambleside / Windermere

Stagecoach 77 / 77A “Honister Rambler”
Keswick – Portinscale – Hawse End (Catbells) – Grange – Seatoller – Honister Pass – Buttermere – Lorton – Whinlatter – Keswick (circular)
Catch it from: Keswick (connect via 555 from Windermere/Ambleside or X4/X5 from Penrith)
Seasonal (roughly Easter–October). Brilliant for the North Western fells: Catbells, Dale Head from Honister, the Buttermere fells and Whinlatter.

Rural routes change seasonally — confirm on stagecoachbus.com or Traveline before relying on a last bus.

Navigating High Stile in cloud

Severe

A rough, rocky summit ringed by crags, with no single obvious way off in poor visibility. A serious place to be caught in cloud: carry map and compass (or GPS) and know how to use them, or save it for a clear day.

In winter — snow, whiteout, cornices, buried features — every top demands full winter navigation skills whatever its band, and a broad, gentle summit can be the worst place of all. See walking in bad weather and the navigation guide.

How High Stile compares with all 214 — the Clag Index: navigating in cloud. A relative, deliberately cautious guide; the site can’t navigate for you.

Other fells near High Stile

Maps & guidebooks for High Stile

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